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The Miami Heat moved two wins closer to reserving a seat in the 2022 NBA Finals by scoring a 109-103 road win at TD Garden over the Boston Celtics in Game 3. The job is far from done, of course. The Celtics can steal the momentum from Miami with a win in the upcoming Game 4 of this series. With that said, let's have a look at a couple of bold predictions for the Heat in Game 4 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
2 bold predictions for the Heat in Game 4 vs. Celtics
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2. Victor Oladipo throws it back with a 25-point performance
There's a real possibility that the Heat are going to miss the services of Jimmy Butler in Game 4 this Monday night. If that's indeed going to be the case, Miami will have to source Butler's usual numbers from other players, and among those who will be expected to step up is Victor Oladipo.
But even if Butler gets the green light to play, Oladipo must be feeling good enough after a terrific performance (defensively) in Game 3 to come up with a throwback showing later tonight in Boston. Back in Game 3, the former Indiana Hoosiers star scored just five points n only four attempts from the field but had four steals in the 20 minutes he spent on the floor.
Heat forward PJ Tucker talked about how Oladipo's excellent play after Game 3, per Jayden Armant of Sports Illustrated:
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“It’s usually his offense everybody talks about,” Heat forward P.J. Tucker said. “He comes in with a spark. But his lateral slides and quickness were unbelievable. I told him tonight that was some of the best lateral foot speed I’ve seen anybody have. Jaylen Brown can score and he’s tough to get back in front of, so for Vic to square him up is unreal. He gave us a spark.”
Oladipo knows he's no longer the man on the team like he used to be during his days with the Indiana Pacers and is still trying to feel his way back to 100% form with a surgically-repaired knee, but those are not enough reasons to count him out offensively. The Heat always have something to surprise their opponents, and that surprise could come in the form of Oladipo unleashing a strong reminder that he can still put together a big offensive night.
1. Heat holds Jayson Tatum scoreless for an entire quarter
The Celtics might have stolen a win from Miami in Game 3 if Tatum did not forget to bring his talents to TD Garden. Then again, Miami's suffocating defense played a big part in keeping Tatum from even reaching half his season average of 26.9 points per contest, as he finished the contest with just 10 points on a horrible 3/14 shooting from the field. Tatum was barely a factor in that game.
Apart from shooting badly from the floor, he also had six of the Celtics' dizzying total of 23 turnovers. Even though Butler played zero minutes in the second half, Tatum looked bothered in the final 24 minutes of regulation, during which he missed all four shots he took from the field while giving away the possession three times.
The Heat's defense is that terrifying. With Bam Adebayo being a very switchable defender along with the versatile PJ Tucker, active Victor Oladipo, and a pesky Kyle Lowry who never backs down from taking chargers and sneaking into passing lanes, the Heat have the personnel to make life difficult for Tatum — with or without Butler.
